Reactions of Coal Model Compounds in Tetralin Using Microwave Energy: Effects of Catalysts

Reaction mechanisms of model compounds of coal in tetralin by microwave energy were investigated. Diphenylmethan (DFM), phenyl-methyl ether (anisole), and phenyl-methyl ketone (acetophenon) were chosen as model compounds. Experiments were carried out for 10 minutes of microwave energy and different catalysts were used (pyratol, zeolite, BaCl₂, AlNiMo) to find out the distribution of reaction products of the model compounds. GC and GC/MS are used to analyze the reaction products. The main reaction products from DFM and tetralin under microwave radiation with catalysts were ethyl benzene, naphthalene, 2-methyl naphthalene, 3,4-dihydronaphthaleneone, 1-1′-ethyldene 1-benzene, and 1-methyl 4-phenyl methyl benzene. The main reaction products from anisole and tetralin under microwave radiation were ethyl benzene, phenol, methyl phenol, decahydronaphthalene, and tetrahydronaphthalenol. The main reaction products from acetophenon and tetralin under microwave radiation with catalysts were ethyl benzene, methoxy benzene, decahydronaphthalene, naphthalene, tetrahydronaphthalenol, 3,4-dihydronaphthalenone and 2-butene-1-one-1,3 diphenyl. The estimated mechanism of the model compounds with tetralin is compared with the results taken from GC/MS analysis. It is obtained that the results suggested theoretically were similar with the GC/MS results.

Keywords:

• coal model compounds
• microwave energy
• hydrogenation